Storm, Court Delay Medfly Spraying Further

A state appeals court decided Monday it needs more time to determine if aerial spraying of the insecticide malathion can begin over Corona and Norco, giving opponents of aerial application a temporary victory.

State agriculture officials had hoped to begin the first round of aerial spraying Monday night to eradicate the Medfly in an 18-square-mile area before it spreads.

But those plans were scuttled Monday--first by heavy rains that would make the aerial spraying ineffective, and later by a three-judge panel of the U.S. 4th District Court of Appeals in San Bernardino.

The appeals court said it did not have time to rule directly on Corona’s arguments before the scheduled start of spraying. Instead, it prohibited the spraying until it had time “to review the voluminous records” in the appeal, a court clerk said.